Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Progress to dateFourteen young people who were previously not attending school, work or any other form of training are enrolled in the Pathways Project. The aim of the project is to reconnect these young people with a successful learning pathway that may lead back to formal schooling, a traineeship or apprenticeship, employment, or university. To enrol, each young person had to meet with the project’s full time teacher, Caterina di Girolamo, accompanied by a member of their family or a carer.The day begins with breakfast around 9.30 am and concludes when the GYS Drop-in opens at 3pm.The attic studio in the Youthie that functions as our learning space has had a new coat of paint and it’s been re-carpeted. There are ten computers connected to the Internet and, before too long, the Department of Housing has promised to line the roof with insulation. The curriculum development team meets every week, and the community engagement team is also continuing to meet regularly.

Supporting one student at a time to explore their interestsA key element of the Big Picture design that underpins the project is supporting one student at a time to discover and explore what interests them. The plan for this term is to establish a clearer sense of each young person’s interests. Visual diaries, blogs, and zines are just some of the ways each learner is being assisted to tell and develop their story. It’s hard to be interested in something if you don’t know about it: Does the interest come first or the exploring the world? The learning program is designed to help students ‘see’ and ‘explore’ the world in order that they might find their interests. We are doing this by getting them out and about, and observing them in different settings while interacting with different people. A group project is also being planned that will allow the students to work together and get to know each other. A number of options are being explored including making a film and making items to sell at a market stall.We are exploring opportunities for each young person to experience success by connecting them to enjoyable and rewarding experiences. With time, we see a critical role for mentors to connect with and support individual students.

Volunteers and advisorsTalented and generous individuals continue to offer their support to the project. For example, Dr Romaine Moreton, an artist and an academic whose work promotes Indigenous knowledge, philosophy and cultural practices, has agreed to work with us to embed the project in an Indigenous cultural framework. Romaine will assist us to recognise and connect with culturally relevant knowledge and practices. We are also seeking experienced educators who would be willing to spend about 2-3 hours assisting the teaching team on a regular basis. This might involve one-on-one work with an individual learner, or simply the supportive presence of another adult in the informal setting of the classroom.

Young people in Glebe who are not in school, training or work...

Have a strong sense of belonging, identity and community. They are talented, looking for ways to learn and work. They are resilient and strong. Their need for more flexible personalised local learning opportunities reflects long term structural injustices and inequities. The difficult circumstances of their young lives need to be taken seriously, without demonising them. They are not disengaged from learning but from schooling.

Innovative curriculum design: examples of guiding principles

Tirkandi Inaburra an Aboriginal community run centre offering Aboriginal boys aged 12-15 a culturally-based residential program aimed at reducing future contact with the criminal justice system by strengthening the boys’ cultural identity, self-esteem and resilience.

Understanding the principles of a new learning program in Glebe

Learning about personalisation: how can we put the learner at the heart of the education system?

Perspectives on relevance and the quest for rigorous student learning: Balancing life to text and text to life

Resources

ruMAD? are you making a difference?A toolkit that enables young people to lead social change and become active citizens. It is focused on values and led by students but benefits the whole community.

Watch Dave Eggers describe how he and others in San Francisco has personally and creatively engaged with local public schools through the tutoring centre known as 826 Valencia.

Sir Ken Robinson, a leading thinker on education, creativity and innovation, who has advised various governments and major global corporations says that most education systems around the world including Australia’s, are still modelled on the needs of the industrial age, were already narrow and are getting narrower. 7.30 report transcript & video